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Castle Rock tots test toys ahead of holiday season

Students tested approximately 30 toys over the course of a week in September.

Jessica Gibbs

Rowan, 3, and Emily, 4, play with the Lite Brite in the 3 and 4-year-old classroom at The Goddard School of Castle Rock.

Jessica Gibbs

Students at The Goddard School of Castle Rock play with the Lite Brite, this year’s winning toy in the school system’s annual toy testing program.

This fall, a group of Castle Rock students were offered every kid's dream job — testing toys. Last month, their reviews, along with results gathered from students across the country, were revealed.

The Goddard School of Castle Rock was among 50 of the franchises selected nationwide to participate in the 11th Annual Goddard School Preschooler-Approved Toy Test.

Toys sent to schools were first selected by a committee of early childhood education professionals, who reviewed submissions from toy manufacturers. Preschoolers then voted on their favorites from among the committee's highest-rated toys, with the help of their teachers.

Teachers judged toys based on their level of interactivity, skill development and how well they encouraged creativity among children.

“They loved it,” said Morgan Stoeckle, who teaches 3- and 4-year-old students at the Castle Rock location. “It was really neat to see them do that and have fun with new toys.”

Lead teacher Donna Garcia said participating gave them “insight into what kind of new things we can get for our school.”

This year's winning toy was the Lite Brite, manufactured by Basic Fun, where children place colorful pegs on a light-up board to create various designs. The Goddard School will donate 100 Lite Brites to Toys for Tots, a program distributing toys to children whose families cannot afford them.

In total, The Goddard School of Castle Rock tested approximately 30 toys, about two to three toys per classroom, among children 5 years old to as young as 9 months old. The testing lasted one week in late September.

“They definitely got very into it,” said the franchise's co-owner, Nancy Radosta. “It did become a little job for them.”

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